A new Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) launched at Newcastle College this week, highlighting the risks of drinking to young people and aiming to reduce the hard caused by alcohol.
A launch event invited students to learn more about alcohol awareness, have open conversations around alcohol use and safety, play interactive games and enjoy mocktails prepared and served by Hospitality students, with ingredients provided by Tesco.
This is the first education CAP in the UK and the first new CAP to launch in the North East since 2020 following recent data revealing the region as one of England’s worst affected areas for underage drinking, with double the average hospital admissions for under-18s related to alcohol.*
Despite these worrying figures, Newcastle College’s own study shows that 35% of 16–19year-old students say they never drink alcohol and 25% drink only a few times per year. This positive response is in line with headlines that young people are more likely to choose an alcohol-free lifestyle, but the College wants to tackle the remaining 40% of respondents who do drink regularly.
CAPs are partnerships between police, local authorities, schools and colleges, and retailers who work together to highlight the risks of underage drinking and work towards ensuring an alcohol-free childhood for children and young people in the area.
They create alcohol-free positive activities for young people, encourage open conversations about the dangers of alcohol, and will work with Newcastle College to educate students on making responsible choices. By focusing on prevention, CAPs aim is to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to resist the pressures of underage drinking and other harmful behaviours. Working with local retailers, the CAP also aims to prevent underage sales and ‘proxy’ sales, where adults buy alcohol for under-18s.
Rachel Gibson, Assistant Director of Central Support Services at Newcastle College said: “We are joining forces with CAP to encourage conversations amongst young people, parents and carers about underage drinking and its associated risks on their physical and mental health.
"This is the start of a long-term partnership that we hope will lead to a sustainable reduction in teenage alcohol use which is closely linked to our existing mental health, wellbeing and pastoral work across the College to ensure every student has the ability to fully enjoy life studying and living in Newcastle. We look forward to working with the CAP and wider partners in the community to help our young people with the right support and information to ensure they have the confidence to make the right decisions.”
Kate Winstanley, Director of CAP commented: "This partnership with Newcastle College marks a significant step in proactive prevention. By connecting with students in their learning environment, we can provide them with the knowledge and resources needed to make informed, healthy choices. Through this collaboration, we aim to raise awareness about the risks of underage drinking and its long-term effects. We are excited to begin this important work and look forward to the positive impact it will have on the students and the wider community."